Pioneer Hi-Bred
Encyclopedia
Pioneer Hi-Bred is the largest U.S.
producer of hybrid seeds for agriculture
.
, along with a group of Des Moines, Iowa
businessmen, founded the "Hi-Bred Corn Company". At the time, most corn farmers saved part of the seed from the harvest and used this to plant a crop the following year. Wallace had been experimenting with hybridization of corn and became convinced that hybrid seed corn
would become important. His vision proved accurate; by 1940 more than 90 percent of the corn raised in North America was raised from hybrid seed. During the first year of production, the company produced 1000 bushels of seed and sold 650 bushels.
, with additional offices around the world. Pioneer produces, markets and sells hybrid seed corn in nearly 70 countries worldwide. The company also markets and sells hybrids or improved varieties of sorghum
, sunflower
, soybean
, alfalfa
, canola
, rice
and wheat
, as well as forage
and grain additives. Worldwide, Pioneer sells products through a variety of organizations, including wholly owned subsidiaries, joint ventures, sales representatives, and independent dealers.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
producer of hybrid seeds for agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
.
History
In 1926, farm journal editor and future U.S. Vice President Henry A. WallaceHenry A. Wallace
Henry Agard Wallace was the 33rd Vice President of the United States , the Secretary of Agriculture , and the Secretary of Commerce . In the 1948 presidential election, Wallace was the nominee of the Progressive Party.-Early life:Henry A...
, along with a group of Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
businessmen, founded the "Hi-Bred Corn Company". At the time, most corn farmers saved part of the seed from the harvest and used this to plant a crop the following year. Wallace had been experimenting with hybridization of corn and became convinced that hybrid seed corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
would become important. His vision proved accurate; by 1940 more than 90 percent of the corn raised in North America was raised from hybrid seed. During the first year of production, the company produced 1000 bushels of seed and sold 650 bushels.
Important dates in Pioneer history
- 1924 Henry Wallace begins selling 'Copper Cross', the first commercial hybrid seed corn.
- 1926 Hi-Bred Corn Company founded in Des Moines, Iowa, with $7,000 in capital.
- 1931 Roswell GarstRoswell GarstRoswell "Bob" Garst was an American farmer and seed company executive. He developed hybrid corn seed in 1930 that allowed greater crop yields than open-pollinated corn. He was perhaps most well known for hosting Nikita Khrushchev on his farm in Coon Rapids, Iowa, on September 23, 1959...
agrees to produce/distribute seed. The following year Garst partners with Charles Thomas to form the 'Garst and Thomas Seed Corn Company'. - 1935 "Pioneer" was added to the name of the company to distinguish it from other hybrid corn companies. The full name is "Pioneer Hi-Bred Corn Company".
- 1936 Pioneer founds Hy-Line Poultry Farms (later Hy-Line International) to produce hybrid egg-laying chickens. Henry B Wallace (son of Henry A Wallace) serves as president of Hy-Line until 1975.
- 1949 Pioneer reaches annual sales of one million units.
- 1952 "The Long Look" business philosophy is written.
- 1964 The first research station outside North America is established in JamaicaJamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. - 1970 The company name is changed to Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.
- 1973 Becomes a publicly traded company.
- 1973 Pioneer obtains a soybean product line through the purchase of Peterson Seed Company.
- 1975 Purchases Lankhartt and Lockett companies (cotton seed business).
- 1977 Pioneer acquires Microbial Products division to develop bacterial strains for inoculation into silage.
- 1978 Hy-Line International is spun off.
- 1981 Pioneer becomes the market-share leader in North America corn sales.
- 1982 Annual sales pass the US$10 million mark.
- 1983 The name of the soybean product line was changed from Peterson to Pioneer.
- 1991 Pioneer purchases 2 million shares and establishes a partnership with Mycogen SeedsMycogen SeedsMycogen Seeds, headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, provides seeds for agriculture. Mycogen is one of the largest sunflower seed producers. Mycogen produces, markets and sells hybrid seed corn...
to develop Bt insect resistance in corn, sorghum, soybean, canola, sunflower, and other seeds. Pioneer sold the shares in 1998. Pioneer becomes the number one brand of soybeans in North America. - 1992 Pioneer paid $450,000 to Monsanto for rights to genetically modified soybeanSoybeanThe soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
seeds that are resistant to RoundUpRoundupRoundup is the brand name of a systemic, broad-spectrum herbicide produced by the U.S. company Monsanto, and contains the active ingredient glyphosate. Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the USA, and Roundup has been the number one selling herbicide worldwide since at least 1980...
herbicideHerbicideHerbicides, also commonly known as weedkillers, are pesticides used to kill unwanted plants. Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by interfering with the growth of the weed and are often synthetic "imitations" of plant...
. - 1993 Pioneer paid $38 million to Monsanto for rights to BtBacillus thuringiensisBacillus thuringiensis is a Gram-positive, soil-dwelling bacterium, commonly used as a biological pesticide; alternatively, the Cry toxin may be extracted and used as a pesticide. B...
corn that is resistant to European corn borerEuropean Corn BorerThe European corn borer , also known as the European high-flyer, is a pest of grain, particularly maize. The insect is native to Europe, originally infesting varieties of millet, including broom corn. The European corn borer was first reported in North America in 1917 in Massachusetts, but was...
s. - 1995 Pioneer stock is listed on the NYSE as PHYB.
- 1996 Pioneer acquires 20% stake in Sunseeds Co. (a hybrid vegetable seed producer) in exchange for Pioneer's vegetable seed operation.
- 1997 DuPontDuPontE. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
acquires a 20% stake in Pioneer and the companies form a joint venture called Optimum Quality Grains LLC. - 1999 DuPont purchases the remaining 80% of Pioneer for $7.7 billion.
- 2006 DuPont and SyngentaSyngentaSyngenta AG is a large global Swiss agribusiness company which notably markets seeds and pesticides. Syngenta is involved in biotechnology and genomic research. The company is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in total sales in the commercial agricultural seeds market. Sales in 2010 were...
announce Greenleaf Genetics, a joint venture to market seed genetics and biotech traits. - 2010 DuPont and Syngenta end their joint venture, Greenleaf Genetics, with Syngenta retaining complete ownership.
Today
Headquarters of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. are located in Johnston, IowaJohnston, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 17,278 in the city, with a population density of . There were 6,618 housing units, of which 6,369 were occupied....
, with additional offices around the world. Pioneer produces, markets and sells hybrid seed corn in nearly 70 countries worldwide. The company also markets and sells hybrids or improved varieties of sorghum
Sorghum
Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents...
, sunflower
Sunflower
Sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence . The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads...
, soybean
Soybean
The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
, alfalfa
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...
, canola
Canola
Canola refers to a cultivar of either Rapeseed or Field Mustard . Its seeds are used to produce edible oil suitable for consumption by humans and livestock. The oil is also suitable for use as biodiesel.Originally, Canola was bred naturally from rapeseed in Canada by Keith Downey and Baldur R...
, rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
and wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, as well as forage
Fodder
Fodder or animal feed is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock such as cattle, goats, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. Most animal feed is from plants but some is of animal origin...
and grain additives. Worldwide, Pioneer sells products through a variety of organizations, including wholly owned subsidiaries, joint ventures, sales representatives, and independent dealers.